5 Growing Apart
by Daintress
Summary: “Remus has looked absolutely dejected for the last month and a half,” Mur explained. But the image of misery that flashed through her head wasn't of Remus it was of Sirius, sitting with Wood at meals as his best mates ignored him. AU since HBP.
1. Chapter 1 Prefect Badges and Kung Fu

Chapter 1 ~ Prefect Badges and Kung Fu  
  
Muriel ran the stretch of yard between her house and Severus', clutching her Hogwarts letter in one hand and a bright prefect's badge in the other. Mr. Snape had come home and left again half way through the summer, so she just threw open the front door and ran upstairs.  
  
"Sev, look!" she exclaimed, reaching his room and throwing open the door. Mrs. Snape turned, grinning. She'd been fiddling with something on Severus' robes. "Dumbledore made me a prefect!" Mrs. Snape stepped aside, and Muriel began to laugh at the sight of a duplicate badge on his robes. "And you too? Merlin this is going to be a good year! The marauders are going to wet themselves!"  
  
Severus, trying to look dignified behind his badge, snorted in spite of himself, then smiled. "I imagine I got prefect because Macnair's got no personality and Goyle has the brains of a niffler, but how did YOU get it? You get detention more often than I do!"  
  
"Well, I think it's lovely, Mur," Mrs. Snape said quickly, hugging her and heading back downstairs. She didn't want to be around if her son was foolish enough to tease the girl.  
  
Mur looked thoughtful. She'd been so excited that she hadn't given it any thought. "Well. I bet Dumbledore didn't want to saddle any of my dorm mates with the impossible task of keeping me in line. Maybe he thought if he gave me a little responsibility, I'd be more likely to behave responsibly."  
  
Severus nodded, that was as good a reason as any. "What an astounding error in judgement," he said seriously. They both laughed, then ran downstairs to ask Mrs. Snape if they could go to Diagon Alley and get their things. She sent them by themselves, knowing they'd take care of each other.  
  
When they arrived to catch the Hogwarts Express a week later, Muriel was anxious to find out which of their Gryffindor counterparts had gotten the badge. They sat together in the prefect compartment, waiting. Neither was surprised when Lily Evans and Remus Lupin came in a few moments later. Mur was glad. She hadn't gotten to talk much with Remus in the last few years, and she really liked Lily.  
  
Severus was relieved. At least Dumbledore had chosen the least destructive of the marauders, and the least likely to abuse his power. That would give him and Mur a nice edge this year. He sat quietly while Lily and Muriel chatted. Remus didn't seem to have much to say either, at first.  
  
"Mur, could I tell you something?" he asked finally. The other Slytherin prefect had arrived by now, and was sitting haughtily beside Severus. There were far too many mud bloods in the room for her taste. Even though there was only one. Severus felt his throat constrict as Muriel looked up at Remus, a serious expression on her face.  
  
"We're all really sorry about that spell, second year. We didn't know it would be that bad." The Hufflepuffs and the Head Boy and Girl came in, then, and Severus didn't catch Mur's reply. NOW he had an idea what had made her so angry in their second year.  
  
"I forgave you all for that by the end of the year."  
  
Remus nodded. Maybe they would be able to get along this year. They listened to all the instructions the Head Boy (thankfully NOT Avery) and Girl had to give, and left for their respective compartments. Mur and Sev didn't have one yet, so they just checked each one to see if it was empty.  
  
Ahead of them, Remus disappeared into a compartment. A moment later, James appeared in the corridor. Severus and Mur both brought up their wands. But he was only looking for Lily, who had already walked passed him.  
  
"Lil? We've got a new game. Why don't you come and play it with us?"  
  
Muriel shook her head. Potter was going to have to do better than that.  
  
"No thanks, James. It's always too crowded in your compartment, what with your swollen ego and all."  
  
He went back into his compartment muttering, and was about to close the door when Mur put her foot against the bottom and stood in the doorway. "I'll play," she said immediately, seeing the game. Peter and Sirius were sitting on the bench playing a very easy-looking version of Labyrinth. At least, it was made of wood and had only one level. She smiled her best smile as James, Peter, and Severus all groaned.  
  
"You played that all summer!" Severus said quickly. "And we have our own board with us." She shot him a withering glance. The point was to show these boys who was best at it, not to sit quietly and play by herself.  
  
"Sure, Mur, come on in." Remus was glad she'd accepted his apology and wanted to be nice to her. James was looking at him like he was crazy, so he mouthed the word, 'Prefects,' at him, hoping he'd understand. He saw his eyes widen as his head snapped back to look for the badges on their robes. Muriel smirked at him and plopped down next to Remus. Severus stood in the doorway. There was no way he was going to walk into that compartment and sit down with the marauders. They all watched in silence as Sirius tried it, and then Peter. Neither got very far. Muriel smirked when Peter passed the game to her.  
  
"So, where'd you get a muggle game like this?" Remus asked finally as Mur finished the maze, the ball dropping neatly into the tray. She could tell that he was trying to ease the extremely tense atmosphere.  
  
"Well, I had a spot of trouble with one of the older Slytherins last year, so Papa hired an Oriental wizard to come and teach me hand combat. He sent a board like this to me a few weeks before he came, and said that hand-eye coordination was really important in martial arts. Didn't want me hitting someone's eye when I was aiming for his nose, or something." She was careful not to look at Sirius as she spoke.  
  
The boys nodded. They all knew why she'd wanted to learn to defend herself. She smirked. "It was really helpful. I'll show you!" She stood abruptly as James failed at the game, groaning. They looked up at her to see that she was grinned wickedly at Sirius, and holding out her wrists. Her wand lay forgotten on the bench.  
  
Severus, who hadn't spoken all this time, was beside himself. Was she really going to give them a demonstration in these close quarters? It was nearly impossible. Sure, she'd thrown him once over the summer, but that had been outside, where there wasn't anything in her way. While she had been learning martial arts, he'd spent his time learning Occlumency, so he had no idea what she was capable of.  
  
"What?" Sirius asked guardedly. She couldn't possibly want him to –  
  
"Take my wrists and try to drag me into the corridor," she said, still smiling. This was going to be absolutely too much fun.  
  
"Why me?" he asked quickly, not moving. He exchanged a glance with James, who'd set the game aside, looking worriedly at Muriel. Maybe she had figured out who'd helped her after all.  
  
"Because, you're the one I'll most enjoy throwing to the ground, Black," she said quietly. Then, "Stand back, Sev, we'll be all the way into the corridor before it happens." Severus shook his head and moved further down the corridor as Sirius stood up and took her wrists. He stepped backward, but she didn't move.  
  
"Black, you'll have to actually try to get me out there, I'm not going to just follow you!" Peter looked absolutely terrified, but James and Remus had amused expressions.  
  
"I don't want to hurt you," Sirius said quietly. He was standing close to her in the small compartment, and looking into her eyes. He'd forgotten how pretty they were.  
  
Muriel was very, very glad, for some reason, that Severus hadn't heard that. She pushed the thought away and swallowed hard as James made a noise of disgust. "It never stopped you before, Black," she said pointedly. Sirius felt something suspiciously like guilt in his chest before he narrowed his eyes.  
  
"Alright." A moment later he was dragging her forcibly into the corridor, a playful grin on his face. It was easier than he thought it would be, though he was careful to hold her arms high enough that her wrists wouldn't come out of place.  
  
He never saw it coming. One moment he was pulling her toward the front of the train, and the next he was on his back behind her, gasping for air. Snape was standing over him laughing. He felt someone's arms under his shoulders and scrambled to his feet to face a smirking Muriel. "Don't worry, Black. I'll promise no physical retaliation for hexes if you will."  
  
Well, she certainly wouldn't have to worry about Avery this year. Sirius nodded, blinking a bit more often than was usual as he sat down in his compartment. Remus was grinning, but James and Peter both looked very upset. 


	2. Chapter 2 Dating

Chapter 2 ~ Dating  
  
Sirius was very relieved that Muriel hadn't figured out that he'd helped her get away from Avery. Somehow, he thought that all the fun he had at school would go out the window if she ever knew that. He'd certainly have felt guiltier about hexing her. He sat several rows behind her in Professor Tantry's class, listening absentmindedly to drivel about dementors. His mother had once told him that the foul creatures couldn't be explained, you just had to meet one if you wanted to understand. He shuddered. He'd rather not understand. James passed him something and he glanced at it, suppressing a chuckle. He nodded.  
  
A moment later class was irreparably disrupted when the legs of Marisa and Muriel's desk turned into squirming snakes. Their books scattered everywhere as the tabletop fell, and Marisa screamed, knocking her chair over as she tried to get away. Muriel stood up and turned around sharply. "Nothing poisonous this time, Black? I'm disappointed." She smirked at him as Professor Tantry hurriedly fixed the table legs and turned on the boys in the back. Black had been named, and in spite of the fact that he hadn't done it, he got the detention.  
  
By the time Marisa and Muriel had gathered up all their books from the floor, class was over. Mur shot a victorious smile at Sirius before she and Marisa headed off to dinner, Marisa still breathing heavily.  
  
Severus met them in the hall. "Hey girls," he said quietly, coming up behind them. Muriel jumped and turned around, swearing and drawing her wand. Sirius and James sniggered as they passed them. It was always fun to see the enemy fighting amongst themselves.  
  
"Bloody hell, Sev!" Mur said angrily, putting her wand away. Severus suddenly felt very uncomfortable. He had surprised her. That had NEVER happened before, in all their lives. She could always sense his presence before he could speak. He wondered if she would ask him about it.  
  
Muriel stared hard at her friend. Something wasn't right, hadn't been all summer long. She hadn't been able to hear any of his thoughts since late last term, and now his emotions were becoming harder to feel, too. Just now she knew he was standing in front of her, but it was like his body was an empty shell. She couldn't feel anything at all.  
  
"Are you okay, Severus?" she asked finally, aware that they were the only people left in the hallway. Marisa was looking back and forth between them worriedly.  
  
Severus put on a puzzled expression. "I'm fine. Are you okay?" He worried a bit more when she narrowed her eyes again before nodding shortly and turning back towards the Great Hall. For the first time it occurred to him that she might be less than happy that he was denying her access to his mind.  
  
Muriel didn't bother to ask Severus to come with her to her Quiddich team tryout. She'd decided to try for keeper, but it was obvious within the first few minutes that there were at least three people far better suited to the job. She left the field alone and feeling very annoyed. Maybe next year.  
  
Most of the Great Hall was looking raptly at the Gryffindor table when she finally dragged herself back downstairs for dinner. Sirius Black was facing a pretty, black haired Hufflepuff girl, who was turning red and smiling brightly enough to cast shadows.  
  
"You really want to go with me?" he was asking loudly. "That's amazing, I was just trying to get up the nerve to ask you!" Sirius had really turned on the charm this time. Muriel rolled her eyes and walked the long way around to her seat as the girl giggled nervously, and sat down to have dinner with the marauders instead of at her own table.  
  
Mur didn't acknowledge Severus as she walked past him but continued to her own table. He had been leaning over a homework assignment, and she hadn't seen him. As she sat, she watched a more familiar act play out at the Gryffindor table. James got up, practically ran down the table and whispered something to Lily, only to throw himself angrily onto the bench again a moment later. Mur shook her head. One day the girl was going to say yes. She wondered if Potter would have any idea what to do when that day came.  
  
"James just got up to bother Lily again, I take it I missed the announcement about the Halloween ball?" she looked over at Marisa, but it was someone else who answered.  
  
"That IS a pretty good indication, isn't it?" She looked up to see Jeremy Wood, the 7th year Gryffindor Quiddich captain smiling down at her. "I don't think we've met." He held out a hand and she stood to shake it.  
  
"Wood, right?"  
  
"Jeremy," he corrected. "And you're Muriel?" His eyes were a deep brown to match his hair, and he was smiling a very shy smile. Mur looked down and caught Marisa's eye. Her friend was grinning encouragingly.  
  
"Mur," she corrected in the same tone.  
  
"Mur, I saw you at the dance last year, and I'd really like for you to come to the Halloween ball with me." He said this all very fast, and Mur blinked at him in surprise. Her first thought was that she ought to go with Severus. But as quickly as it came she pushed it aside. She'd waited until it was almost too late last year, and she knew he'd never ask her.  
  
"Well, alright then," she said softly. She'd never been asked out before, and it was a rather frightening experience. No wonder Marisa had grabbed her hand last year when Sirius had asked her to the ball. She had a very unnaturally girlish urge to do exactly the same thing. She could hear the girls whispering excitedly to one another at the table.  
  
"Great. Maybe you'll come to a few of our practices in the meantime and we can talk?"  
  
"Sure," she answered, her voice still rather misty. She stood there and watched him walk away. He sat down and started talking excitedly with his friends, as if it was something great to have asked out a 5th year. As her head cleared a bit, she couldn't help but wonder why a Gryffindor would be asking her out anyway, much less one that was two years older than she.  
  
She sat back down slowly, thinking hard. She hadn't bothered to try and read anything out of his head. Well, maybe she'd be able to pick up a little of his reasoning at his first Quiddich practice.  
  
Two weeks later she sat in the top box nearest the goals Jeremy was defending. She was close enough to get his thoughts, and he seemed to think he was impressing her. He was really quite good. The entire team was good, actually. Potter was about the best seeker the school had ever seen. In the two-hour practice, he'd caught the snitch at least 8 times. One of the beaters, a girl she didn't know, was knocking bludgers at the chasers while Black protected them. He hit the bludgers a lot harder than she did, so she was doing a good deal of extra flying to go after them. And his aim was nearly perfect. He sent her careening out over the field to protect James every time he hit the bludger away from the chasers. Muriel could certainly see how the team had learned to play so well. Their practices were very well coordinated.  
  
She waited outside the locker rooms for Jeremy. Potter and Black came out first and started when they saw her there. "Spying on our practices, Deesia?" James asked coldly. He still hadn't forgiven her for laying Black out on the train, and had been having a field day hexing her ever since. She fingered her wand in her pocket.  
  
"Yes, I'm going to tell AVERY all about it later on. Don't be a prat, Potter," she said sarcastically. Sirius looked a little startled. They weren't supposed to know that she didn't like the new Slytherin Quiddich captain.  
  
James just laughed, smooth as always. "I was actually more afraid that you'd tell your own team."  
  
"Oh, you think I'd report to Kyle that you're going to tromp all over his dreams again this year? That poor boy will be devastated enough when it happens. He doesn't need foreknowledge." Her voice was a little sad. She really would have to be cruel to tell Kyle ANYTHING she'd seen here today.  
  
"There's my girl," Jeremy said sportingly as he came out of the locker rooms. Muriel raised an eyebrow. That was taking it a bit far, since she'd barely spoken to him in the four days since he'd caught her in the hall to tell her when the first practice was.  
  
James choked incoherently, staring at his captain with wide eyes. Sirius, however, had caught the look on Muriel's face and was stifling a fit of giggles. "Wood, you'd better watch out for this one. She's a spitfire."  
  
Muriel spared him a withering look. "Sod off, Black." She watched as Sirius led a still sputtering Potter away. Then she turned to Jeremy with a wicked grin. "He's right you know. It'll be a while before I'm your girl. You're a decent keeper, but it isn't enough to make me fall at your feet."  
  
She watched as his mouth fell open. He was about to start saying he'd never thought any such thing. "Honestly, Wood, are all Gryffindors this conceited, or just the Quiddich players?"  
  
His mouth snapped closed and he swallowed hard. "Sorry. I shouldn't have called you my girl. I was just – er –"  
  
"Showing off in front of your team?" she supplied. She laughed when he nodded miserably. "That's okay. If you're half as good a dancer as you are a keeper, we'll have a good time anyway."  
  
'You'll still go with me?" he asked incredulously. Muriel was still smiling at him.  
  
"I hang out with Severus Snape. The boy has an ego the size of the Himalayan mountain range. I think I can put up with yours for an evening. IF you dance."  
  
Jeremy couldn't help but laugh. He even made so bold as to put an arm around her shoulders as they walked back to the castle. "We'll get along just fine."  
  
Muriel was really pleased to find that Wood actually seemed to enjoy her company. It isn't often that someone asks you out the same day they meet you. She'd been worried that he might want a little more than a good girl ought to give. But she couldn't sense any of that in the handsome 7th year, so she let herself enjoy his company as well. She sat through every Gryffindor practice, in spite of the jeering she took from her own house team. 


	3. Chapter 3 Dares and Dances

Chapter 3 ~ Dares and Dances  
  
"How was Wood's Quiddich practice?" Severus asked stiffly as they practiced casting banishing charms during a particularly noisy charms lesson.  
  
"It was interesting. They've got a strong team this year." Muriel answered noncommittally. She had been asking him what was wrong with him all week. It was getting harder and harder to tell when he was nearby. Now, a week before Halloween, she had forgotten that he was even sitting beside her.  
  
Severus was seething. As if it wasn't bad enough that she'd agreed to go to the dance with the prat, now she was going to all his practices too. She'd even sat with him once at lunch already. He felt his stomach contract as he thought about it and said the banishing charm. He had apparently flicked his wand a little too forcefully, however, and Professor Flitwick went sailing across the classroom, letting out a stream of expletives to rival a Malfoy. Most of the class laughed.  
  
"You didn't do that on purpose," Muriel accused suddenly, setting down her wand. Severus wondered for a moment if she really knew that for sure, or if she was guessing. He was having enormous success with blocking his thoughts and emotions. She shouldn't have been able to feel his guilt.  
  
Her eyes were flashing angrily. He smirked. "Maybe I did."  
  
"Liar. I've seen you cast banishing charms before. You've never had any trouble. What's got you so upset?" she kept her voice down, as the professor still seemed rather annoyed.  
  
"Why should I be upset? I hear Wood's going around telling people you're his girl now." He added bitterly. She fixed him with a piercing gaze.  
  
"Not that I let him get away with it, but why should that upset you? You spent all of last term telling me how much you hate dancing, and you avoided me like the plague at Malfoy's wedding! Don't tell me you were planning to ask me to the dance this year!"  
  
Severus had been planning to do just that. He'd finally gotten his Occlumency abilities to the point where he was sure he wouldn't betray himself. Now he was finding that when she couldn't feel his emotions, he had trouble telling her what they were.  
  
"I do, and it doesn't!" he snapped angrily, banishing another pillow. Unfortunately he was a bit distracted, and the pillow landed right in Professor Flitwick's face. Severus cringed as the Professor threw the pillow angrily into the pile where it belonged.  
  
Muriel watched him stalk from the classroom as she gathered her books. 'Well, sod him anyway. At least this year someone WANTED to go with me!'  
  
On Halloween, Marisa taught her several new spells for her hair, and they spent half of the day trying them out. Muriel had bought new robes at Hogsmeade the weekend before, and was gratified when her dorm mates threw a fuss over them. They'd been fussing over her all week, actually. Apparently she was going with one of the most sought-after boys in the school; not that she had noticed him before he'd asked her.  
  
She was unaccountably nervous as she and Marisa headed downstairs. Her pale lilac robes were complimented by the ribbon Vanessa had leant her for her hair, which fell in ringlets from a pony tail on the back of her head. She had borrowed a pair of Marisa's earrings too, since she had gemstones the right color. It had been a bit of a pain to let her friend pierce her ears, but the spell kept it from bleeding, and the effect was definitely worth it.  
  
Severus watched from a staircase above as she took Jeremy's arm and walked into the Great Hall. He wondered if she would dance with him if he showed up. Probably. But that would mean admitting he'd lied to her again. He made his way back to the Slytherin common room briskly. Perhaps he could amuse himself with yelling at the first years.  
  
"Alright, I've got something to tell you, and you probably aren't going to like it," Jeremy said slyly as they entered the hall. She raised an eyebrow, which made him cringe.  
  
She couldn't help but laugh, and he relaxed a bit. "What? Are you going to tell me that your ego fell to the ground and registered an 8 on the Richter scale?" She'd been teasing him about his ego all month, and he was becoming much more good-natured about it than he'd been the first day.  
  
"Worse. I lost a dare last night." This produced a great deal of confusion until he explained to her the muggle game of Truth or Dare, which he said he'd been playing with the other boys on his Quiddich team.  
  
"And you were dared to do what?" Mur asked apprehensively.  
  
"Let you dance with every guy on my team," he said quickly.  
  
Muriel laughed. "It sounds to me like Potter lost in that deal, since the moment he lays a hand on me I'm going to curse him."  
  
Wood looked very grave indeed. "The dare said that whoever you refused to dance with had to sit out the Quiddich match next week," he explained worriedly.  
  
"Ah, yet again the fate of Gryffindor's Quiddich season rests in my hands." She smiled at his confusion as they sat down at a small table to watch the few couples who were already dancing.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Oh, didn't you know that Black and Potter had brooms third year courtesy of yours truly?" His mouth fell open. "Don't do that, you look like a fish."  
  
He laughed as she continued. "Well, it was my fault they didn't have them in the first place, but I DID go out of my way to make sure the game was fair." He nodded, surprised. That game had been against her house. She could easily have let the boys ride school brooms and run the risk of losing.  
  
"So, where are the boys on your team? Oh, never mind. I see them all huddled over there, smirking at us." She waved. "And which one of them came up with this dare?"  
  
"Can't say!" he replied, smirking a bit himself. The expression didn't suit his boyish face at all. She tried to pry the information out of his mind, but his attention span was like a strobe light, and he was already thinking about her lip gloss.  
  
"Well, you can have your keeper," she smiled at him here, and he smiled back, "your beaters and your chasers, but I'm afraid you are going to be a seeker down for the game." Before he could protest, she stood up. The dance floor was nearly full, and she liked this song. "Let's make sure you aren't without a keeper first. We'll worry about the rest later."  
  
By the fourth dance, Wood felt a little sad. He'd already decided that he wasn't going to ask her out again, but he was having a really nice time. She seemed to sense this, so when the song ended, he let her go. "Alright, which of my team should I fetch first?"  
  
"Go get Potter and let's get this over with," she said in a resigned tone of voice. It was his turn to raise his eyebrows. "I really appreciate you asking me to the dance. No one else would have," she explained. "The least I can do is dance with your bloody seeker."  
  
He grinned as he went in search of Potter. He was pretty sure several people would have asked her if he hadn't gotten to it first. It really was a shame that Sirius had to like her so well. But, he wasn't going to make another date with her after what he'd heard last night. He shook his head, remembering when his older cousin, Arthur, had said exactly the same thing about Molly Tucker in THEIR fifth year. And they had a kid already!  
  
James approached Muriel slowly, as if she were a white rhino he didn't want to startle. Muriel smirked and drew her wand. "Stand there," she said, pointing with her wand at a spot on the floor. It was closer to him than she wanted to be, but it would do. He put his feet together, watching her warily.  
  
"Now hold still." Muriel whispered commandingly. He stared at her. "Well, if you thought you were touching me, you were dead wrong." She cast a jelly legs curse on him and his feet began to wobble. She grabbed him by the wrist, swung him around a few times, and ran to find Wood, laughing.  
  
"Dance another one with me before you throw me back to the wolves!" she exclaimed, as she pulled him up from his chair.  
  
Remus took the curse off James, who was more than a little annoyed. He hadn't been part of the Truth or Dare game, because Peter had managed to get himself trapped in the vanishing closet. He'd spent the evening with the marauder's map and his invisibility cloak, running all over the castle to try and find him. If he'd been there, he would have punched whoever had dared Wood to get Deesia to dance with them all.  
  
Of the seven people on their team, only 4 were boys, Wood, Black, Potter and a chaser named Umbridge. Muriel had never met him, so she asked for him next. He turned out to be a decent dancer, but not very attentive. Muriel decided almost immediately that one of the girls on the team must have placed the dare. There just wasn't anyone else who could have.  
  
Wood sat and watched them. Umbridge hadn't been too keen on the idea when he'd heard about it this morning. Wood hadn't told him who had come up with the dare, and Umbridge already had a date that he liked very well. But Deesia hadn't called him a half blood yet, and they appeared to be getting along fine. Wood saw Sirius dancing with the Hufflepuff girl who'd asked him to the dance and grinned at him. Sirius looked confused, which didn't surprise Wood at all.  
  
He let Muriel drag him onto the floor one last time before he made her dance with Sirius. It was a slower song, and he closed his eyes when she rested her head on his shoulder. She really was a nice girl, no matter what his Quiddich team said about her being a spitfire. And he was glad he'd asked her, for his friend's sake. There was no way anyone else would have let her dance with Sirius Black.  
  
Sirius had explained the whole thing to his date, or at least, the version that Wood was giving to Muriel. She'd taken it pretty well, and James was dancing with her in the meantime. He put on his best smirk and walked over to the drink table where Muriel was talking with Wood.  
  
"Isn't it my turn yet?" he whined convincingly. Mur rolled her eyes.  
  
"Does that hex you used on my desk legs work on human legs too?" she asked sweetly. Sirius blanched a bit. He didn't think it would work very well at all. Mur laughed.  
  
"You know, my parents aren't here to keep me in line," she whispered as Wood winked at her and walked away. "Think of all the nasty things I could do to you without the threat of Riddle hanging over my head!"  
  
He smiled. "You mean Voldemort?" he asked as he put an arm around her waist. Her smile fell away.  
  
"NO," she said, in a hard voice. "I mean Riddle. He can pretend he isn't a half blood all he wants, but the fact remains that he's a bloody fool. If there's one thing I've learned hanging out with Marisa it's that it doesn't make a bloody bit of difference who your parents are. There are purebloods with less talent than she's got running around everywhere. Look at Peter for Merlin's sake!"  
  
Sirius looked at her hard. "I thought I was the only one from our crowd who'd figured all that out," he said finally. He pulled her a little closer but she hardly noticed. She was still thinking hard about Riddle and his ridiculous ideals. And she was angry. She was very angry with Riddle for ruining her mother and getting her killed for nothing, and she wasn't going to afford him the honor of choosing his own name.  
  
Sirius let her think, enjoying the feel of her hand in his and the smell of her hair. "You okay?" he asked finally. They'd been dancing for quite a while, but Muriel hardly seemed to notice. She snapped out of it.  
  
"Fine. I'm still pretty upset with Riddle. It's his fault my mother got killed. Him and his bloody vendetta against muggles." She fell silent again. He tightened his arm protectively around her waist and this time she looked up. For a minute he was afraid she might reach for her wand. Instead she just looked into his eyes. "I'm going to be an Auror, you know. Like Papa. One day, I'm going to help stop people like Riddle."  
  
Mur didn't know why she was telling this to the one person in the world who was least likely to care. "And you're helping," she added, thinking of their ongoing duel. "You and your mates make really good moving targets." Finally she smiled.  
  
"In that case, maybe I'll be an Auror too. I've certainly done my share of practicing on you." Sirius couldn't help but think of something else he'd much rather practice on her. But as soon as his eyes left hers to look at her lips, she pulled away hard.  
  
"I think I've fulfilled Wood's end of the bargain. Whoever set him that dare should be satisfied that you can all play now." She backed away from him, her eyes wide. Surely she had imagined what she'd heard him thinking. She bit her lip. But then, why would she imagine such a thing from her worst rival? She ran. She couldn't help it. She turned around and went to find Wood, and didn't let him talk her into sitting down the rest of the night. 


	4. Chapter 4 Misunderstandings

Chapter 4 ~ Misunderstandings  
  
By the next Hogsmeade weekend, Muriel was thoroughly convinced that no such thought had ever crossed Black's mind. Since then, he'd taken every opportunity to hex her that he could. He had even managed to hit her with a few. Once she had had to spend the night in the Black and Deesia Ward while a laughing Madam Kinnison administered an hourly potion to get rid of the green and yellow polka dots that had appeared on her skin after a Defense Against the Dark Arts class.  
  
It was hard to know what her Legilimens ability was capable of anymore. She was completely unable to read anything from Severus, thought or emotion, and after that obviously incorrect thought she'd heard from Black, she just wasn't sure that her brain was working right at all. She couldn't remember if there'd been any emotion from him that night, but who could tell? Maybe she just wasn't picking that sort of thing up anymore. It was far easier to believe that than to believe that Severus no longer had any feelings for her.  
  
She had half hoped that Wood would ask her to Hogsmeade this weekend, but he'd barely spoken to her since Halloween. That was odd, too. She KNEW she had felt some emotion from him, and it seemed like a sure thing that he would want to go out again, but somehow, she just KNEW that he didn't.  
  
Maybe once you started dating, Legilimens abilities became a curse rather than a blessing. It still worked fine on her dorm mates, so maybe there was something about boys at this age that just made them impossible to understand, no matter WHAT special insight a girl possessed. She smirked at this thought as she followed Severus to Hogsmeade. His cloak was snapping in the harsh wind, and she had to hold her long hair out of her face to even see where they were going.  
  
They ducked inside the first store they came to, Honeydukes. It looked like all the other students had done the same, because the place was full. She was glad, because it meant they wouldn't have to try and have a conversation. Not being able to hear his thoughts or feel his emotions had made it really hard to make sense out of him. He wasn't nearly as articulate as she remembered him being last year. He often started sentences and didn't finish them, and she realized that a year ago, she would have been able to complete them for him. Maybe that was why he was so distant lately. Maybe he thought she wasn't paying enough attention to catch his thoughts.  
  
When they'd filled their pockets with boxes of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans and a few chocolate frogs, they quickly headed for the Three Broomsticks. Muriel immediately emptied the first box of beans onto the table. She picked one up and cast a spell on it. It glowed green, so she put it in her mouth. "Licorice!" she said happily as Severus sat down with their butterbeers.  
  
"So it works?"  
  
She tried another one, but it glowed red. She threw it back in the box and kept trying until she got another green one, then handed it to him.  
  
"Cinnamon! Excellent." Muriel's father had recently invested in the company that made the ambiguous candies, and she had rifled through the literature they sent and come across this spell. It was buried in the fine print, so not very many people had ever bothered to learn it before.  
  
"Anonymous Christmas presents for the marauders, then?" she asked as he started casting the charm on one bean after another, eating the ones that glowed green. He nodded and soon they had four boxes full of the worst tasting beans that Bertie Bott had ever thought up. They left the bar, laughing when they passed the boys on the road.  
  
But Mur wasn't laughing two weeks later as she threw the largest stack of books she had ever tried to carry onto the floor in the library. The pile nearly reached the top of the desk. "How much more homework do they think we can do?" she asked. Severus didn't look up from his book. He had a million things to read as well.  
  
The 5th year students were already staying up well after midnight each night, trying to get the work done! Just today, Professor Averbeck (Divination), Professor Warrington (Potions) AND Professor Kettleburn (Care of Magical Creatures) had all mentioned special projects that would have to be done in addition to the obscene amounts of homework they'd already assigned.  
  
Mur threw herself into the chair and picked up the top book. An hour later her potions essay was done. When she stopped writing, Sev looked up, then took the essay and read over it. He made a few changes, and she rewrote it. Then she started on History of Magic. Binns couldn't prepare questionnaires, so that was an essay, too, on the Goblin rebellions. That only took another half an hour, since her mother had drilled it into her long before she'd come to Hogwarts.  
  
Severus was still just reading. She finally looked up to see what, and dropped her quill in surprise. "How can you possibly be reading 'Electrical vs. Magical: The Best Way To Take Care of Household Needs' when we've got all this work to do?! You aren't even TAKING Muggle Studies!"  
  
Severus' eyes looked like saucers as he lowered the book. His face was red, and it was spreading all the way down to the top of his robes. Muriel narrowed her eyes. "Did you smuggle something from your father's study in here?" she hissed.  
  
"What do you mean?" he asked, trying to stay calm. If she caught him with an Occlumency book, there was going to be a row right here in the library. Then it clicked. His father's study!  
  
"Of course not!" he snapped, a little too loudly. She was giving him a look of cold fury and holding out a hand. How was he supposed to avoid showing her?  
  
There was only one answer. He snapped the book closed. "Alright," he said, sounding defeated. In a swift motion she snatched the book from his hands and incinerated it before his eyes. Apparently she felt very strongly about his father's stash of books. He would have to keep that in mind in case he ever got the urge to look at such things himself.  
  
"Disgusting!" she spat, gathering up her things. She would study in the common room after all. At least the boys in there weren't blocks of ice with hormones attached! Bloody Slytherins!  
  
Severus started his homework, ignoring the curious glances from across the room. Now he owed Papa a copy of that book, and he'd probably have to make a trip to Knockturn Alley to get it. "Bloody hell," he muttered. By the time the library was closing, he'd finished just about everything. He decided to leave the rest for tomorrow, and tossed his books in a heap on the floor when he reached his room, not caring if he woke up Goyle or Macnair. It was a shame he'd had to let her think he'd been looking at his father's things when it upset her like that. Now he was going to have to apologize for it.  
  
It was quite a while before he got the chance. She didn't want to talk to him at all. He finally cornered her after charms a week before the Christmas holiday, having begged Marisa the day before to leave without her. "I'm sorry about the book," he said quickly, as soon as he was sure they were alone.  
  
"Forget it, Sev. It doesn't matter." She sounded really depressed.  
  
"It does matter," he insisted, stepping in front of her as she tried to get away. "I didn't know it would upset you so much." Muriel rolled her eyes. "If I never look at another one, will you forgive me?"  
  
She looked up at him then. His expression was serious, but she couldn't tell if he was really sincere. As far as her mind was concerned, he wasn't even standing there. The part of Severus Snape that had really been important to her was buried somewhere inside the person in front of her, and she couldn't reach him. She closed her eyes and nodded, willing herself not to cry.  
  
He looked around again, and seeing no one, he put an arm around her. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Mur," he whispered. It was only a moment before she pulled away.  
  
"I've got to get to class. You should, too," she said quickly. "See you later."  
  
But Muriel skipped her next class. Instead, she headed for the kitchens and asked the house elves to deliver some presents to the marauders for her on Christmas morning. They were happy to agree, and gave her several delicious pastries to take back up to Ravenclaw tower, which was good, because she had a feeling she was going to skip dinner as well.  
  
The day before Christmas, most of the school had gone home for the holiday. As things out in the world became more and more dangerous, the students were anxious for any chance they got to see their parents. Many (especially among the Gryffindors) were going home in direct defiance of their parents' wishes. Severus, of course, went to be with his mother. But Papa had written Mur to tell her to stay, and she would listen. She had no desire to end up like her mother.  
  
James Potter was going with his parents to America over the holidays to visit his mother's sister. Sirius had been invited, but decided that was a little too much to ask. It wasn't a big deal for him to stay here for Christmas, even though Remus and Peter were both going home.  
  
Muriel was looking forward to sleeping in, now that everyone was gone from her dorm, but was awoken far earlier than she'd hoped by Kyle's voice calling up from the common room. "Pick up game of Quiddich," he explained when she stomped down the stairs and demanded to know what his problem was. "Three on three. We need a beater! Come on!" He would have dragged her off to the pitch that minute if she'd had her broom, pajamas or no. Instead he had to wait ten whole minutes while she found her gloves and a hooded cloak she could play in. She grabbed her broom and rushed downstairs.  
  
"I didn't think there were 6 of us left!" she exclaimed as they flew out to the pitch.  
  
"There aren't! We're playing the Gryffindors." Muriel brought her broom skidding to a stop. Kyle circled back to face her.  
  
"Who are we playing, Kyle?" she asked quietly.  
  
"Wood, Black and Bell," he said guardedly. "I thought you'd love a chance to show up Black."  
  
"I've never played beater in my life!"  
  
"Here's your chance," he said, grinning and speeding once again toward the pitch.  
  
"This is not at all funny, Kyle," Mur muttered as she chased after him. 


	5. Chapter 5 Quidditch Accident

Chapter 5 ~ Quiddich Accident  
  
Muriel was freezing. Her fingers grasped the stubby bat as she tried again to head Black off and knock that bludger away from Kyle. And yet again she was much too late. She had to chase the thing down, and by the time she knocked it toward the Gryffindor Chaser, Amanda Bell, Black was already beside her to block. It was definitely the most frustrating game of Quiddich she'd ever played.  
  
And if he didn't quit smirking at her like that, she was going to hex him. But at least they were winning. Once in a while. They kept jumping ahead and falling behind. They were only playing to 200. It was just too cold to play much longer.  
  
She dodged Kyle, who had the Quaffle yet again and hit the bludger hard toward Wood. Black was already there, anticipating. Not only did he block the bludger, he caught the Quaffle in one hand as well and tossed it to his captain with an arrogant grin. Wood looked like he'd just thrown him the Quiddich World Cup, he was so happy. But Muriel didn't have time to be disgusted, or impressed. She was already after the bludger again. Amanda and Kyle were racing toward the Ravenclaw goals, practically joined at the hip. She saw the bludger above her and pulled up sharply to hit it.  
  
Unfortunately, Sirius had already swung his club at it. Instead, his club connected with the side of Muriel's face. He'd swung hard to try and knock it far enough to hit Amos Diggory, the Ravenclaw keeper. There was a wet, crunching sound and her hands went limp on the broom. An instant later she was falling. Sirius sped toward the ground and just managed to catch her, holding the broom with his feet until he could set her down gently. Play had come to a halt above them and everyone landed.  
  
"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL HAPPENED, BLACK?" Wood shouted furiously.  
  
"She just pulled up out of no where. I'd already swung, I didn't see her in time." Sirius was sitting in the snow, his broomstick still beneath him, cradling her in his lap. Her cheek seemed to have gone black instantly and the bruise was spreading. It was obvious that her jawbone had shattered.  
  
Wood's voice softened at the anguished look from Sirius. "Well, don't just look at her, mate, let's get her up to Madam Pomfrey." Wood conjured a stretcher and helped Sirius lift her onto it.  
  
Halfway to the castle, they were all startled when she lifted up a hand. Her eyes didn't open. "Black?" she whispered. She couldn't even grimace, though it hurt so much to talk.  
  
"I'm here," he said quietly, taking her hand.  
  
"Don't leave me," she mumbled. Beside them, Wood smiled a knowing smile. Maybe Sirius would get that girl after all.  
  
Sirius was so angry with himself he could barely see straight. He'd hoped after the game that he would get a chance to talk with her. Although, he would probably have just tried to give her pointers on being a beater, which she would have appreciated only slightly more than what she actually got.  
  
He held her hand all the way to the Hospital ward. Madam Pomfrey was mortified. She couldn't even ask the proper questions, and seeing Sirius there with Muriel didn't bespeak much confidence. "Out! Every last one of you! Get out!" She tried to shoo them away, but Muriel had a vice like grip on Black and Wood. In the end she would have to wake the girl up before she could get rid of them. She went to look up spells for fixing bones in the face.  
  
"Black?" Mur whispered again when she'd gone. "Don't leave. Stay here."  
  
"I'll stay, Mur, as long as you need me to," he said. Wood could hardly believe how sad he looked. Black had knocked countless people off their brooms, some with far worse injuries than this, and never felt a bit of remorse. That's part of the reason he was such a bloody good beater.  
  
"Stay here," she whispered again, her eyes still closed. "Because as soon as I can reach my wand I'm going to hex you until your ears are sprouting out your ass."  
  
Wood felt his eyes widen. Black had been right, she was a spitfire, first order! He thought his beater might make a hasty exit at this point, but was surprised when Sirius only laughed shortly. "You can use my wand," he whispered, pushing her hair away from her face.  
  
Madam Pomfrey bustled back in, looking a good deal happier. "Alright boys, its time to get started, out of the way now." Mur heard and let them go. What followed was three days of fading consciousness. She never did remember what exactly had brought her to the ward, or who had been with her.  
  
Two days after Christmas, she was finally able to sit up in bed without the danger of passing out. Kyle and Amos stopped in to see her each day. Her face was still swollen and tinged with blue, but Madam Pomfrey assured them that it would be back to normal by the time the other students arrived.  
  
"You'd think that would be my question, Kyle," Mur said pleasantly, munching on the scones they'd brought up for her from breakfast.  
  
"Er, well, we were just thinking that maybe Snape wouldn't have to know about this." Kyle said quickly. Mur would have smiled if it didn't still hurt so much.  
  
"Severus lets me fight my own battles. And I assure you, Black will pay sufficiently without any input from Sev." Kyle and Amos exchanged a glance.  
  
"Does that mean you won't tell him?" She narrowed her eyes a bit. Could they really be that afraid of Severus? She pictured him stalking across the grounds to Hogsmeade, cloak snapping in the wind, his eyes flashing at everyone who passed him, friend or foe. Yes, she imagined they COULD be that afraid of Severus Snape.  
  
"I won't tell him how bad it was, but he's going to ask how my holiday went, and I'll have to at least mention it." This seemed to calm them sufficiently, and they nodded. "Now, where did those come from?" She pointed to a huge bouquet of violets that was sitting on the table behind them. She'd only just noticed them, since this was the first day she'd seen anything but the ceiling since the accident.  
  
"The Gryffindors brought them in Christmas day. They feel really bad." Kyle said, shaking his head. Violets were awfully hard to get this time of year. Someone must have learned to conjure them. How did they know she liked purple? She decided that Wood must have remembered that her dress robes the last two years had been different shades of purple.  
  
It was another day before Madam Pomfrey let her out of the ward. She was glad to be back in her dormitory, not least because of all the homework time she'd missed. Classes resumed the very next day, and she'd gotten nothing done! She was also thankful to have Marisa back in the dorm. Boys were starting to become very frustrating to her, and it was nice to have a girlfriend around again.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Sirius picked through the box of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans that had been left at the foot of his bed Christmas morning. He had yet to find a good one. He was starting to suspect who they were from, and he closed up the box and put it in the pocket of his robes. This was the worst Christmas he could remember in years. He knew he owed Muriel a huge apology, but she was definitely going to hex him if he went anywhere near her. He'd conjured violets to leave beside her bed, but she probably thought they were from Wood. Maybe he could send Wood to talk to her.  
  
Mur's face was still a little bluish and tender when she and Marisa headed down to breakfast the next morning. But the swelling had gone down, and if you didn't know what had happened, you could hardly tell. Unless, of course, you'd spent as much time looking at her face as Severus had.  
  
"What the bloody hell happened to you?" he exclaimed, as she turned on the bench to say hello. Kyle and Amos looked down the table, wide eyed.  
  
"Quiddich accident. And this is nothing, you should have seen it before." She put a hand gingerly up to her face as Marisa made room for him to sit down.  
  
"Black?" he asked calmly. He didn't know why she would be playing Quiddich with Black, but that was obviously a bruise from a beater's club. She nodded.  
  
"I've already got a plan," she said, grinning wickedly. "Don't muck it up by getting in the way." Down the table, Kyle nodded, understanding that that was her way of keeping Severus out of it. Severus nodded, too.  
  
"Alright, Mur. Listen, I came over here to ask you to dinner." He had determined over break that apologizing hadn't been enough. He was going to have to make the whole picture book thing up to her somehow, even if he hadn't actually been looking at one.  
  
"There is no way I'm eating over there. Avery has left me alone this year because Papa caught him in Knockturn Alley over the summer and threatened his life very convincingly. But I don't want to antagonize him. I'd rather just stay out of his way."  
  
Severus nodded again. It wasn't Papa who'd caught up with Avery in Knockturn Alley, and Sev and Malfoy had been very convincing indeed. Convincing enough to send Avery to St. Mungos for the remainder of the summer. Yet another thing he would rather Mur not find out about.  
  
"Actually, I was thinking next Hogsmeade weekend we could apparate to London and go out somewhere," he said, suddenly very nervous. The next Hogsmeade weekend fell on Valentine's Day.  
  
Muriel was looking at him strangely, and projecting very confusing emotions. Maybe she didn't want to.  
  
"Alright, Sev. That would be really nice," she said finally.  
  
"Great," he replied, standing up. "Let me know what you're going to do to Black, so I can help."  
  
At this she laughed a little. It still hurt to laugh too hard. "Forget it, Sev. This time it's personal." He went back to the Slytherin table shaking his head. 


	6. Chapter 6 Remus' Secret

Chapter 6 ~ Remus' Secret  
  
Muriel sat in the library, her head spinning. She was pretty sure that Severus had just asked her out on a date: A REAL one. And about time, too! Her classes had been a blur, but she was on track with her homework for once. She had three essays to write tonight, and she was only just finishing the first. Her attention was caught, however by the sound of a whispered conversation. She looked over at the table of 7th year Gryffindor girls.  
  
"It was the most amazing flying I've ever seen from a beater. He knocked her off the broom, then spun into this dive. Potter might have done something like it once or twice, but I've never seen anyone else, outside the pros, handle a broom like that. He caught her almost before we'd even realized she was falling. Merlin only knows what else she would've broken if she'd hit the ground from that height!" Amanda Bell was whispering the story of their Quiddich game to her friends.  
  
"I think Wood might have killed him right then and there, if he hadn't nearly broken his own neck to catch her. But it was obvious he hadn't meant to do it. He stayed with her until Pomfrey kicked him out, and I saw him in there twice when I went to visit in the next few days."  
  
Mur looked back at her essay. Bell was obviously taking about Black. She couldn't remember anything after she'd pulled up to chase that bludger, Kyle had had to tell her that Black knocked her out. Had he really caught her? She didn't see any reason why Bell would lie to her friends.  
  
She finished the essay and headed to dinner, late as usual. When she got there, she was more than a little annoyed to see Severus standing beside Sirius and Peter at their table. She knew Remus wouldn't be showing up tonight, but wondered where James was.  
  
Severus had taken the opportunity, while Mur wasn't in the hall, to try and trick a little information out of the boys in front of him.  
  
"Do you know, I saw Lupin playing around the base of the whomping willow earlier this evening. Aren't we all a little old for that kind of childishness?" he kept his smirk firmly in place. It wouldn't do for them to figure out just how interested he was in this.  
  
"Sod off, Snivellous," Sirius said angrily.  
  
"And then I saw something really remarkable. He disappeared into the ground!" he faked a shocked tone of voice. "Now, how do you think that happened?"  
  
Sirius was already in a really bad mood because of the Quidditch accident and didn't have the patience it took to put up with Snape's questioning. And Peter was less help than a bucket of bobertuber puss.  
  
"Well, Snape, why don't you prod the knot with a stick and follow him. That'd give us all a laugh. It would also get you to SHUT THE BLOODY HELL UP!" Sirius said, standing. But Severus had what he wanted.  
  
"Perhaps I will." He swept away, his robes billowing behind him, just as Mur ran into the hall after him.  
  
"I told you to leave it to me!" she exclaimed.  
  
"This was something entirely different. You can do whatever you want to Black. I was after information about Lupin. Have you noticed that he disappears on a pretty regular basis? He's been going into a passageway of some sort beneath the whomping willow. This is my chance to get him expelled for good."  
  
Muriel's breath caught in her throat. Could Severus have figured out Lupin's secret? She didn't know, since his mind was closed off entirely. "Sev, let me come with you."  
  
"Alright. Grab some food, let's go."  
  
"No, I can't tonight, let's do it tomorrow," she said desperately. If he was right, and Remus was in that passageway, then tonight was the worst night possible to explore it.  
  
He looked at her hard. "I watched him go in there tonight. There won't be anything to see tomorrow." Then his eyes narrowed. "You know something. What is it?"  
  
"Stay away from that willow, Sev," she hissed angrily. He looked at her for a long moment, then swept out of the hall, his teeth clenched tightly.  
  
Muriel watched him for a moment before she ran to the Gryffindor table. "What did you tell him?" she demanded angrily. James had joined them, and was looking from Sirius to Muriel with a very worried expression.  
  
"I told him how to get under the willow," Sirius mumbled. Now that he thought about it, that had been a very bad idea.  
  
"What?" James exclaimed, standing abruptly. "Tonight? Padfoot, what's wrong with you?" He didn't give his friend a chance to explain, but ran from the hall. Sirius didn't look up at Muriel, who was still fuming beside Peter.  
  
"Sirius, don't you think you'd better go inform Dumbledore?" she asked finally. Both boys nodded and scrambled up to the head table, their eyes cast toward the floor. Muriel went to sit just outside the willow's reach, waiting. She hoped to Merlin that Severus wouldn't hurt Remus. She hoped James reached him before he even SAW Remus.  
  
But on that count, her hopes were dashed when the boys emerged from the tree, just as Sirius, Peter, and Professor Dumbledore came running from the castle. Severus was unmarked, though he'd managed to inflict a good bit of damage on James, from the look of it. Both boys wore expressions of extreme fury.  
  
Potter was panting as he approached Dumbledore. "He saw," was all he said. Muriel watched the professor nod silently. Then he turned to her.  
  
"Miss Deesia, kindly escort Mr. Potter to the hospital wing while we have a chat in my office." Muriel nodded, and cast a look at Potter. His nose was bleeding profusely, and he had the beginnings of a black eye as well. Professor Dumbledore gestured toward the castle and followed Severus, Sirius and Peter back inside.  
  
Muriel and James walked side by side up the stairs. He was limping a bit, so Muriel took out her wand. He flinched and reached for his own. "Relax, Potter, I'm just going to do a spell to take some of the pain out of your ankle."  
  
"Thanks," he muttered as the spell hit.  
  
She left him with Madam Pomfrey and went to sit outside the Headmaster's office. On the way she met Peter, who'd been sent to check on James. "Dumbledore said to tell you not to sit out here and wait for Snape," he said cautiously. No one wanted to give Deesia bad news.  
  
"Fine!" she snapped, making him cringe. Twenty minutes later found her sitting outside the Slytherin portrait hole. She wasn't one to give up easily. It was another half an hour before Severus showed up. His face was contorted in a mask of rage that she had rarely seen. She jumped up and ran toward him.  
  
"Are you alright?!" she said, throwing her arms around his neck. He didn't answer. Instead, he pried her arms off and pushed her roughly away.  
  
"You knew. You knew on the boat first year, and you never told me."  
  
Mur took a step back and reached for her wand. Severus wasn't often this angry, but when he was it was a good idea to have a wand in your hand.  
  
"It wasn't my secret to –"  
  
"Silencio!" he said quickly. Mur didn't bother to try and finish her explanation. Her mouth closed into a thin line and she waited.  
  
But Severus didn't have anything else to say. He gave the portrait the password, snapped at the other 5th year prefect to change that password that night, and went to bed.  
  
Muriel recognized a nasty situation when she saw one. She was, once again, in the Slytherin dungeons without the ability to cast spells. Avery could come along any minute. An impressive collection of foul words ran through her mind, directed entirely at Severus.  
  
When she finally made it back to Ravenclaw tower, Marisa took the silencing charm off for her, and asked her what was wrong. There was so much wrong that she had no idea where to begin. She just shook her head and climbed into bed. 


	7. Chapter 7 Planning

Chapter 7 ~ Planning  
  
The prefects' bathroom was enormous. Muriel looked around, impressed. It was nearly curfew, but she couldn't sleep, and the Hufflepuff prefect had mentioned the veritable swimming pool in here after the last meeting. Mur had decided to give it a try. She needed some time to think.  
  
She peeled off her robes. It was a co-ed bathroom, so she'd brought along a tee-shirt and shorts borrowed from Vanessa. She herself didn't own any muggle clothes, except her blue jeans. On the wall behind the tub was a picture of a mermaid, who sniggered at her clothes while she tried out the many taps surrounding the tub.  
  
Muriel was in no mood to be laughed at. She turned to the picture. One tap still spouted bubbles that bounced off the surface of the water. "What are you supposed to be, exactly?" she asked the image scathingly.  
  
"I'm a mermaid, stupid," the blond haired, fish tailed beauty answered.  
  
"You are not! I've seen merpeople in the lake behind my house and you don't look anything like them. You're a siren, aren't you?!" The picture blinked at her angrily.  
  
"So what if I am?"  
  
"So sing something." Muriel threw herself backward in the water as the tub filled up and swam a few strokes. That Hufflepuff girl was right, this was a really nice bathroom. The siren started singing and Mur dove under the water. It sounded a lot better from under there, though it wasn't nearly as bad as the true merpeople's voices above water.  
  
She tried out all the taps, then left on any that had purple bubbles. And several did. After nearly a month of silence, Severus had apologized for leaving her alone in the Slytherin dungeons, and it looked like he was still going to take her out for Valentine's day next weekend. But he never, ever mentioned Remus.  
  
Mur had noticed that Remus and Sirius never walked together to class, or sat together at meals, and she was pretty sure that this was because Black had never apologized. Several times she had wondered how she could help Remus understand that it just wasn't in his nature to do so. James and Peter had been spending extra time with Remus, but he still seemed lonely. Oddly enough they were all so caught up with their own problem that they hadn't bothered to hex her for weeks, which was very relaxing. Potter hadn't laid off Sev any, though. If anything, their pranks on him had only gotten worse. Severus and James had both gone to Madam Pomfrey just last Tuesday with gashes in their arms from a spell Severus should never have used. Now Potter knew the spell too, and he'd thrown it back at Sev before he quite realized what it did. They'd both had detention for a week.  
  
She was startled out of her thoughts by the opening of the bathroom door. Lily appeared, looking harried. She stopped short when she saw Muriel already using the tub.  
  
"Sorry!" she said, turning to go.  
  
"It's alright, there's room for two," Mur said quickly. It would be nice to have someone to talk to. Lily grinned and shrugged out of her robe. She had a brightly colored set of underwear on and Muriel looked away quickly.  
  
"It's a muggle bathing suit," Lily explained, easing into the water. "People see me in it all summer long." Muriel smiled a little.  
  
"And you don't mind that your boobs hang out like that?" Though they were only 15, Lily was already filling out nicely, and her bathing suit was designed to make the most of it.  
  
"Actually, the trick in buying a bathing suit is to make sure that they DO hang out like this." Both girls laughed.  
  
They swam for a while, splashing and laughing. "How are the boys? They've stopped hexing me, and that usually means something's wrong," Mur asked after a while. She had her elbows on the ledge and was kicking her feet to make a fountain.  
  
Lily swam over. "They're all really upset with Sirius. Something happened at Christmas between him and Remus, and James and Peter sided with Remus."  
  
Muriel snorted. "I'll bet they did. Do you know what happened?" She could sense that Lily didn't want to tell her everything. Then, as Lily tried to decide just what to tell her, Muriel realized that she knew Remus' secret. "Sirius told Sev how to get into the passageway under the willow, and he saw Remus on the full moon," she supplied, before Lily had a chance to come up with a feasible lie.  
  
"You know?"  
  
Muriel nodded, then told a little white lie. "Noticed when he was ill and checked the lunar charts. That's how you figured it out, too, isn't it?" Lily nodded as well. "I don't think we should tell them that we know, but maybe together we can help them out."  
  
Lily was a little surprised that Mur wanted to help the marauders with anything.  
  
"Remus and I have been friends since first year," Mur explained. "He's looked absolutely dejected for the last month and a half." But the image of misery that flashed through her head wasn't of Remus; it was of Sirius, sitting with Wood at meals because his best mates were ignoring him.  
  
"What should we do?" Lily asked quietly. She was looking at the picture of the siren, who was still humming for them, and had her back to the door. But at that moment, Muriel saw the door open and close.  
  
"Wait," she hissed, making Lily jump. She followed her friend's gaze to the door, but nothing was there. Muriel jumped out of the water and grabbed her wand, shouting a warning.  
  
"If this door opens again, I'm going to blow it and anyone near it to bits," she said dangerously. Then she turned to Lily, unwilling to give away her knowledge.  
  
"Lil? Did anyone follow you down here?"  
  
"Potter, but he follows me everywhere."  
  
"James Potter. He doesn't own an invisibility cloak, does he?" Muriel turned back to Lily, who was shaking her head slowly. But Muriel already knew that he did.  
  
"I don't think – "  
  
Beside her a huge geyser of water shot up to the ceiling. It held Muriel's attention for a moment too long, and by the time she turned back to the door, it was falling softly closed. She swore.  
  
"I'll bet you anything that was Potter," Mur said, placing a locking charm on the door and jumping back in the water. "Well, he can't get back in now, so let me tell you the plan." 


	8. Chapter 8 Making Up

Chapter 8 ~ Making Up  
  
"Sev?" Muriel hurried after her friend as he left the Great Hall after breakfast. He turned. "Divination with the Gryffindors is my second class today. Can you make sure Potter spends it in the hospital wing?"  
  
Severus shrugged. "Sure." It wasn't an odd request. He recalled asking her to do similar things in the past. She smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. "What about Black?" he asked.  
  
"Lily's going to delay him for me."  
  
"And Lupin?"  
  
"That's already been arranged." That was almost a lie, but Muriel was sure that Severus would have a fit if he thought she wanted his help to talk to Remus alone.  
  
Severus nodded. He didn't ask about Peter Pettigrew. A simple 'Bugger off' would probably suffice.  
  
"Thanks!" she said, hurrying off to Transfiguration.  
  
After class, she made a bee-line for Divination and plopped herself down at the marauders' usual table. There had been only three poofs there for the last two months, and that suited her fine. She'd had to give up a large number of chocolate frog cards to Marisa to get her to help them out, but her friend winked at her and grinned from their usual table.  
  
Remus and Peter came in together, looking a bit upset. Mur wondered just how badly Severus had hurt Potter, but decided it didn't matter. Madam Pomfrey would fix him up. They looked at her oddly, and she smiled, pulling out a chair for Remus. Peter came with him.  
  
"Bugger off, Peter," she said quietly as he started to set his books down.  
  
"B-but there are three chairs!" he protested.  
  
"Peter? You can sit with me." Marisa was making eyes at Peter, and that was all it took to convince him that he'd much rather sit with her anyway.  
  
"Why do I feel like a cornered animal?" Remus asked quietly as Peter plopped down to Marisa.  
  
"I just wanted to talk."  
  
"If this is about Sirius – "  
  
"This is about our conversation on the train at the beginning of the year."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Which had a great deal to do with Sirius." Muriel allowed herself a smile as Remus turned his eyes away. He was still very upset with his friend.  
  
"Don't you wonder why I forgave you that year? It obviously wasn't your apology, as I'm sure I made clear when you tried to make it." He looked back at her. He WAS rather curious about that. "Surely you're surprised that I'm here talking with you when I never apologized for stuffing you in that passageway?"  
  
Remus nodded, then looked up as Professor Averbeck walked into the room. Muriel cast a charm at his back as he headed toward his desk, and the professor turned sharply around. He blinked confusedly. Then he turned back and began class. Remus and Muriel couldn't hear him, and, more importantly, he couldn't hear them.  
  
Remus shook his head as she continued whispering, and the professor ignored her completely. Here they were, two prefects, hexing the professor so they could talk during class.  
  
"I felt bad after I stuffed you in that passageway. But I would never apologize. My mother taught me that to apologize is to show weakness. Someone who apologizes is nothing more than a coward, who deserves to be hexed anyway. And that is exactly why you ended up in that passageway. I was angrier at the four of you after that than I'd been after the pain."  
  
Remus looked horrified. It had never occurred to him that apologizing might have offended her MORE. It just didn't make sense.  
  
"Yes, it is rather stupid, isn't it? But nevertheless, that's what I was taught. I forgave you that year because of Black. He came looking for me during the end of year exams.  
  
"I remember. He said he was going to the library, but he left without his books. He came back in a really good mood, and you stopped glaring at us, and crying when no one was looking."  
  
Muriel looked at him sharply, and he realized that he shouldn't have mentioned that he'd noticed the crying. "I'm – "  
  
"Stuff it, Remus. You don't have to be sorry. You're right." She sighed. It was a good thing she had half the class period to get this all out. She hoped Lily could keep Sirius away that long.  
  
"What did he say to make you forgive us?" Remus asked quietly.  
  
"Nothing. Not a bloody thing." Remus looked at her incredulously as the professor set a crystal ball in front of them and walked away, obviously not having heard any of their conversation.  
  
"He didn't have to, Remus. He came looking for me, found me on the grounds, behind the greenhouses. When I walked away, he called me back. But there wasn't anything else that needed to be said. We were raised in such similar families that I knew why he was there, and he knew that I knew. It was enough."  
  
She let Remus think about that, and pulled the crystal ball closer to her, taking the charm off the professor with her wand under the table. It was less than 5 minutes later when Lily came in, followed by Sirius. Muriel held out the chair on the other side of her, which Lily ignored on her way to join her friends. Black stared at them.  
  
When the professor's back was turned again, Muriel pulled out her wand and gestured emphatically from Sirius to the empty chair. With a furtive glance at Remus, he sat down. She made sure he saw her put her wand away. That seemed to be the proverbial white flag.  
  
When Professor Averbeck had finished explaining the orb, he expected them to try and use it. Muriel pushed it over to Sirius, smirking. Now that they were expected to talk to each other, things were going to get difficult.  
  
"Er – I missed everything he said. How are you supposed to do this?" Sirius asked quietly. The entire room seemed to hear him, however. Remus raised an eyebrow, but didn't answer.  
  
"We don't know, we missed the first half of class, too," Mur said finally. "Make something up."  
  
Sirius was in the worst situation he could imagine today. Here he was, sitting with the two people he'd hurt most in the last year, and unable to say anything more intelligent than that he didn't know how to use the bloody orb. He pushed it away.  
  
"How've you been, Mur?" he asked quietly. Muriel turned and winked at Remus. She knew this was Black's apology.  
  
"Well, my face wasn't permanently damaged, so I guess I won't bother clobbering you in retaliation. And you're lucky. I convinced Severus to leave you alone, too." Muriel smiled, and Sirius tried to smile back, but he couldn't help looking at Remus instead.  
  
"I don't suppose you could ask him to lay off James?" Remus asked, remembering the ugly duel that had taken place in the hall on the way to class.  
  
"I don't suppose I could," she answered cheerfully. "It's entirely possible that Severus owes him a life debt, since he obviously took the blows that the willow would have dealt to Sev. And a wizard's life debt is nothing to sneeze at. It has Sev completely in a snit to think he owes ANYTHING to James Potter."  
  
She watched slyly as Sirius and Remus exchanged a relieved glance. They were obviously glad that she'd assumed something so easy to agree with, and that Severus hadn't told her anything. Sirius looked quickly down at the table. "Remus? Could I talk to you after class?" he whispered. He couldn't help but swallow hard as he waited for his friend's answer. He knew now that Muriel had forgiven him for knocking her off her broom, but Remus wasn't like them. He might need to hear –  
  
"No need, Padfoot," Remus replied, shaking his head and looking at Muriel. "It's over. It doesn't matter anymore." Sirius raised his eyes just in time to see that Professor Averbeck was standing behind Remus, with a stern expression on his face. His expression got even worse when he saw the grin Sirius gave him as he pulled the orb towards him and started spouting the most obviously made-up prophecies Muriel had ever heard.  
  
As the professor headed to a table where people were actually doing their work, Remus, Sirius and Muriel dissolved into laughter, and Mur knew the boys were going to be all right again. Which is why she made sure to turn Sirius' hair florescent yellow as he walked down the stairs ahead of her that day. 


	9. Chapter 9 A Real Date and OWLS

Chapter 9 ~ A Real Date and O.W.L.s  
  
Muriel took Severus' hand as they walked to Hogsmeade on Valentine's Day, feeling a little queasy. She was sure that Sev suspected her of helping the marauders make up, and she was more than a little worried about how he would react. She was praying they wouldn't pass the boys, who were closer and happier than they'd ever been. If Remus so much as smiled at her, Sev would probably throw a tantrum in the middle of the street.  
  
But Severus wasn't thinking about the marauders at all. Instead, he was trying to remember how to change muggle money. He didn't want to run the risk of meeting anyone they knew, so he was planning to apparate to the Leaky Cauldron and get into muggle London just as fast as he could.  
  
He led her behind the Hogs Head, smirking. How many times had he seen Malfoy snogging Narcissa in this alley in the last few years? Pity that they'd finished school the year before. "Ready?" he asked.  
  
Muriel nodded, still nervous, and they both disappeared with a resounding crack.  
  
Muggle London looked very rigid to Muriel, who was used to the leaning and creaking shops of Diagon Alley. She couldn't help but be impressed by the buildings that looked like they were made entirely of glass. They took off their robes as they walked, not wanting to attract attention. Muriel had worn a simple black dress and earrings borrowed from Marisa. She wondered if there was a shop somewhere here that sold them, so she could get a pair of her own.  
  
"How's Papa?" Severus asked finally. He didn't want her to realize that he got owls from her father almost as often as she did.  
  
"He's afraid, but he doesn't say so. Riddle's got him running all over."  
  
"I still can't believe you cast the Legilimens spell on him in his sleep and it didn't wake him."  
  
"I wasn't trying to be intrusive. He was having a nightmare, and I suspected it was about the initiation ritual, because he was clutching his arm. I just sat in on the reenactment, that's all."  
  
Severus was shaking his head, wondering if one day she'd do the same thing to him. They reached the restaurant he'd found on his last trip, and he held the door for her to go in ahead of him. "I still think you should have left him be. If he'd wanted you to know – "  
  
"Sev, Papa was worried that I wouldn't love him or respect him anymore if I knew he'd taken the mark. You know that could never happen. I'm afraid for him, and disappointed that he wasn't strong enough to resist Riddle, but he's still Papa, no matter what. I'll always love him."  
  
Severus turned his eyes to the ground as they sat. He desperately hoped she really meant that.  
  
"But he should have trusted me enough to tell me himself. I couldn't stay in the dark, wondering. It's torturous, just like – "She stopped, suddenly. In the last year, she'd asked Severus if he was all right more times than she could count. And every time he had either gotten angry or changed the subject. Now, on their first-ever, real date, she didn't want to ruin the night by mentioning whatever was wrong between them.  
  
Severus didn't answer. A few moments later they were both thankful when the waitress came back and took their orders.  
  
"It's really nice here, Sev. Thanks for inviting me." Muriel said quietly, sipping her drink. She was rewarded with the first real smile she'd seen on him since Wood had failed to invite her to Hogsmeade in November. She smiled back. It really was a nice restaurant, very quiet. Every booth seemed removed from the others, so you could pretend you were by yourselves. There was a small dance floor, and a brass band playing muggle music that Muriel had never heard before. It was pretty. She wondered if Sev would be willing to dance here. At least none of his Slytherin goons would be able to tease him for it later.  
  
For his part, Severus was anxious to finish eating so he could ask her to dance. He remembered all too well how nice it had felt to hold her last Christmas. And this time, he wouldn't have to think of potion ingredients.  
  
Muriel was thrilled when he asked. Sev thought he might never have seen her quite so happy, which pleased him to no end. It had begun to occur to him that she might have trouble loving him back if he kept his mind closed to her. But tonight, she didn't seem to mind at all.  
  
He folded his arms around her and kept her close to him as they danced. He'd thought his mind would wander again to the things he'd been so afraid to have her know. But instead, when he rested his cheek on the top of her head and smelled her hair, all he could think of was how he was going to ask her. He knew he would have to, in spite of all their parents' coaching, and her own expectations. He would still have to find the courage to ask her to marry him someday.  
  
'But not yet,' he reminded himself, closing his eyes. They were still young. It could wait a few more years. He wouldn't have noticed when the song ended if everyone hadn't started clapping. He opened his eyes as Muriel pulled away, smiling shyly.  
  
"What about some ice cream?" he asked, as they headed back to their table.  
  
It was long after curfew when they got back to the castle. Muriel went with Severus down to the Slytherin dungeons, keeping her invisibility spell on them until he was safely behind the portrait.  
  
The spell always drained her, and she decided to risk the trip to Ravenclaw tower without it. She hardly noticed when Filch caught her and gave her detention again.  
  
She'd had a wonderful time, but something was bothering her about Severus. He still seemed so distant. Even as he'd held her, she had felt nothing from him. She could see in his eyes that he was feeling something, and it hurt her not to know what it was. She sighed softly as she climbed into bed. Maybe someday he would tell her.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
The O.W.L.s were upon them faster than anyone could have imagined, with barely time to think up new hexes for the marauders. Mur had to take Marisa to Madam Pomfrey three days before the first exam. She'd been talking calmly about Defense Against The Dark Arts one minute, and the next minute she was hyperventilating!  
  
The Ravenclaw common room looked like a paper factory had exploded. The 7th years, studying for their N.E.W.T.s, had taken over every available inch of table AND floor space, covering it with books and notes. This meant that the 5th years were forced out of Ravenclaw tower to find their own space in the library.  
  
Mur plopped down hard at the last empty table in the library, and began hoisting books out of her bag. She wasn't worried about History of Magic or Defense Against The Dark Arts, but Charms and Potions were a huge concern. Her eyes saw nothing but words and pencil drawings of potion ingredients for the next half an hour. When she finally looked up, it was because Remus was standing in front of her.  
  
"Mind if I join you?" he asked quietly. She almost said no. If Severus came up here and saw her sitting with the only person in the world that he hated worse than James Potter, there was going to be a duel right here in the library. She looked around. There were no other empty chairs.  
  
She gestured sharply toward the chair and he grinned and plopped himself down as she went back to her book. She could at least pretend she didn't know who'd sat down.  
  
"Mur? You were right about Sirius," he whispered. She lowered her book half an inch to peer at him. "He really was sorry, even if he didn't say it."  
  
She nodded, then lowered her book a bit more. "Do you understand that if Severus comes in here, we are both likely to spend the night with Madam Pomfrey?" Remus looked shocked. Apparently this had not been a concern for him. He almost apologized, but thought better of it. Since she responded better to Sirius' behavior, he decided to try that.  
  
"You don't think I can handle Snape?" he whispered. He was a little hurt when she laughed. She knew who he was trying to sound like. And he did a good job, except that he was definitely not Sirius Black.  
  
"Black, maybe. You? No. You don't have it in you to be cruel enough. Even Potter wouldn't be a match for him if he ever really tried."  
  
Remus didn't believe this for a second. Snape was nothing but a snivelling git. James always got the best of him.  
  
Muriel stood up abruptly, and Remus started, wondering if his disbelief had registered on his face. Normally Remus was the only marauder whose company she could stomach for more than a few minutes, but obviously that was not the case today.  
  
She snapped her book closed loudly, fury written all over her face. He thought SEVERUS was a snivelling git?  
  
"Just because he HASN'T caused Potter any real damage doesn't mean he can't," she hissed angrily, throwing her books back into her bag. "Sev knows spells it would make you wretch just to hear about. You're lucky that he isn't just a little more like Malfoy, or all four of you would be in St. Mungos by now muttering to yourselves and screaming in your sleep." She threw the last book into her bag and headed out the door. Remus looked down at the desk as the entire library stared at him. Being friends with Muriel Deesia was a difficult thing.  
  
Muriel tried to work through her Dark Arts exam slowly. She was furious with Remus, and the werewolf questions were thoroughly distracting. Still, she wasn't going to let him be the reason for losing an Outstanding grade. When the professor summoned the scrolls, she gathered her things. O.W.L.s were finally over. She looked around for Severus, but he must have headed outside. She knew where he'd be. Since last year, when they'd wanted to wait for each other, they'd always chosen the clump of bushes near the beech tree by the lake. She shouldered her bag as she headed to the castle doors, only to drop it again at the sight that was before her.  
  
****Insert memory from Snape's Pensieve, Order of the Phoenix**** 


	10. Chapter 10 The Duel

Chapter ~ The Duel  
  
As Lily stomped away from James, who was still holding Snape in the air at wand point, a sly grin crossed her face. She stopped as the petite brunette ran past her, and turned to watch. This was going to be fun.  
  
"James, let him down." Muriel was out of breath, having run all the way from the castle the moment she spotted the trouble. James glanced at her and made a face, failing to notice the dangerous tone of her voice.  
  
"Or what? Going to give him detention?" Sirius laughed shortly, but Muriel could feel worry radiating from them both. She didn't bother to speak another word. If Lily hadn't been able to make James stop then nothing she could say would have any effect either, except -  
  
"Wingardium leviosa." James flew into the air as Severus fell. "All right, Severus?" she asked calmly. She saw out of the corner of her eye that Remus was on his feet and Peter was already heading this way. The laughing and carrying on had ceased all across the lawn and she could feel the tension like muddy water around her. 'Muddy water,' she thought to herself suddenly and grinned. With a few more whispered words James was streaking headlong through the air toward the lake. There was a terrific splash, and she turned to look for Severus. She saw he was already back to the castle doors and hurried after him, but was stopped as Sirius suddenly appeared in front of her.  
  
He was so angry he couldn't even speak. His wand was already pointing at her, and his free hand was clenching and unclenching at his side. Muriel stifled the arrogant grin that was threatening to creep over her face again. A very angry Sirius Black was an entirely different story from Potter, and she'd better not start by making him angrier.  
  
"Sirius," she said cautiously, by way of greeting. She couldn't remember ever actually calling him by his first name before, but if she'd hoped it would calm him, she was disappointed. If he'd been a dog his hackles would have been up and he'd have been growling. He WAS growling, she realized with a start. She almost laughed, but stopped herself as Sirius brought his wand sharply to his face, then bowed.  
  
Muriel swore under her breath. All she wanted to do just now was check on Severus and make sure he was all right. But he was already gone, and obviously she wasn't getting passed Sirius without a fight. She returned his bow, then turned on her heel and walked a few paces. She couldn't go very far because a tight circle of other Gryffindor and Ravenclaw 5th years had surrounded them. She winked at one of the Ravenclaw boys, whose name she couldn't remember, then turned to face Sirius. His wand was already raised.  
  
She was far enough away to miss what he was muttering, but she guessed he was counting, and prepared her first shield to bounce his spell back to him. It was such a bright day that he didn't notice the shield charm until he'd already cast his spell. He only just dodged his own curse in time, but Muriel had already cast her first hex, and it caught his right shoulder, which immediately grew great lengths of dark hair. He swung the arm up to meet her as the crowd laughed. The hair was long and fine like his own, and covered his entire arm and his wand. Before he had a chance to cast another spell, she'd performed the counter spell and the hair disappeared. She barely had time to get another shield charm in place, as his wand jabbed toward her again.  
  
She wasn't prepared to redirect his curse to him, and it spun away over her head instead. She whispered her curses and shielded herself from most of his attacks, dodging the few hexes that he managed to cast too quickly for her. She laughed out loud each time one of her spells hit, fueling his anger as nothing else could. Sirius Black didn't know how to block her curses, and the surprise on his face was comical. Muriel found time to perform the counter curse to almost everything she did to him, though. It wasn't as though anyone else would know how to, since she'd designed all these curses herself.  
  
Muriel could see Sirius gritting his teeth as yet another curse shattered the only deflecting spell he seemed to know. He knew she was playing with him, and she could feel his frustration mounting. He'd been expecting her to take this a little more seriously, but she kept her curses and hexes polite. 'Nothing painful,' she thought to herself as she decided on her next hex. She let Sirius stand again before she cast.  
  
"Vertigoni spiralius," her voice was stronger now. Sirius, holding his wand as tightly as he could, closed his eyes briefly as he began to spin. His feet left the ground and he spun faster, his long black hair coming loose from his ponytail and flying out from his head. He couldn't focus on her long enough to cast anything. If he tried, he'd likely hit someone in the crowd. He was up above their heads now, and his face was turning purple in anger. He caught a glimpse of a very wet and bedraggled James standing behind Lily, who was laughing. It finally occurred to him that this had been a very, very bad idea. Of course James was fine. Mur wouldn't have really hurt him.  
  
"Eronia Excavay," Muriel said, her wand still pointing at Sirius. He felt the world stop abruptly as he was thrown backward out of the air to land several feet outside the circle of his classmates. Somehow Muriel reached him first. Before anyone else arrived, she'd whispered something again, but he couldn't hear what it was. He was on all fours now, trying to pull himself to his feet, but he felt like he was going to be sick.  
  
"Miss Deesia what is the meaning of this!" It was Professor McGonagal, and she looked very angry. She pulled Muriel's wand arm away from Sirius. He looked up at the Professor weakly. Muriel was silent. Everyone was silent. He swallowed hard.  
  
"It was my fault," he whispered. His hand flew to his mouth, but he continued. "I started it." Professor McGonagal looked from Muriel's defiant face to Sirius, who was staring at the grass again, his hand still over his mouth. Sirius Black had never before willingly admitted that ANYTHING was his fault. At least, not until he'd endured a good hour of the Headmaster's interrogation tactics.  
  
"You will both serve detention the moment you get back next year." She was bristling, but she let go of Muriel and helped Sirius up. "Come on, Mr. Black, I'll take you to Madam Pomfrey." Her voice was resigned. This boy had spent almost as much time in the hospital wing as he had in detention, which was really saying something. 


	11. Chapter 11 Checking Up

Chapter 11 ~ Checking Up  
  
Sirius was still very angry. Madam Pomfrey had given him something to settle his stomach, but wouldn't let him go down to the feast. James, Remus and Peter had been up before dinner to check on him, and he'd heard them chatting and laughing as they left to go down to the Great Hall.  
  
Sirius was not used to losing, especially to a GIRL who used a bunch of harmless curses and made him look like an idiot. 'She might as well have dueled a first year!' he thought furiously to himself. He hadn't hit her with a single curse. He hung his head, ignoring the plate of food that Madam Pomfrey had placed on his table.  
  
"You should eat something. If your stomach has stopped spinning, that is." He looked up quickly to see Muriel standing at the foot of his bed. He reached toward the bedside table, his eyes still on her. "I've already taken the liberty of picking that up for you." She pulled his wand out of the pocket of her robes and handed it to him. She was smiling, now, but he narrowed his eyes.  
  
"Get lost, or I'll call Madam Pomfrey!" he snapped.  
  
"She won't hear. I've put a silencing charm around us both." She paused, then walked around to the side of his bed and put her hand gently on his stomach. He sat up a little straighter, his eyes widening. What was she going to do to him now? "Feels like your stomach's calmed down a bit. You should be able to eat now." She pulled the table over and poured him some pumpkin juice from the flask Madam Pomfrey had left. He took the glass, staring at her. She could feel his confusion. His very thoughts seemed to be stuttering and tumbling over each other, so she smiled at him again, and sat down to explain.  
  
"Couldn't you tell by my choice of hexes that I had no intention of hurting you?" she asked gently. "I just needed the duel to be over quickly, so I could go make sure Severus was alright. Not that I found him," she added sullenly. "He disappeared so well that I doubt I'll see him again until we get home." She looked at her hands, and for a moment Sirius felt something like shame, but he shook it off.  
  
"What are you doing here, anyway?" he said, his voice still harsh.  
  
"Just checking to see that I didn't do any permanent damage, Black," she replied mildly, her gentle demeanor disappearing. She wished he'd straighten out his thoughts, they were shooting out of his head like poorly aimed arrows, and she couldn't make any sense of them. "I heard that you did the same for me during the holiday and -" She cut off abruptly, as running footsteps approached from the hallway.  
  
Muriel smiled again. "That will be the marauders, I suppose. I'll be going now. This would be a bad time, I think, to see James." She took out her own wand, winked at Sirius and whispered something softly so he couldn't hear. He let out a gasp as she disappeared, and about jumped out of his skin a moment later when she whispered in his ear. "Glad you're alright. See you next year."  
  
"WAIT!" he said, but she didn't appear or speak again. The door to the hospital ward burst open and James and Remus appeared, followed by Peter. Sirius noticed the door didn't shut quite as quickly as usual.  
  
"Wormtail!" Sirius barked, "Run back out into the hallway and read this out loud." He was scribbling furiously on a scrap of napkin. Peter squeaked as Sirius thrust the napkin at him, and did as he was told. James and Remus exchanged a confused glance.  
  
Muriel was surprised when Peter came stumbling into the hallway. She had been hurrying as fast as she could. Holding the invisibility spell was difficult and she didn't turn around when she heard him stuttering. "C-can Sirius come and v-visit you this summer?" She ran around the corner and dropped the spell, breathing heavily.  
  
She didn't answer at first. Peter looked around warily, wondering if they would all be laughing at him when he went back in. Finally he turned around and opened the door, just as Muriel stuck her head around the corner. "I don't know, can he?" she asked sarcastically. Peter jumped, and turned around. Not seeing anyone, he went to join his friends, and Muriel headed back to the Ravenclaw common room by way of the kitchens. She was starving! 


	12. Chapter 12 Learning The Truth

Chapter ~ Learning the Truth  
  
After spending most of the train ride pretending to listen to her dorm mates' summer plans, Muriel finally found Severus sitting in the very last compartment of the train, alone. His things weren't even in the compartment, just him with his head leaning against the window, watching the world rush by backwards. He hadn't been there the last time she'd looked. "Sev, can I talk to you about something?" He pulled his head away from the glass and swiveled to look at her, as if he barely had the energy.  
  
"I'd prefer not to discuss it," he replied shortly, turning his face away from her again. His eyes were very cold, and seemed to be reprimanding her for bringing it up. But she couldn't be SURE that's what his eyes were saying. That was why she had to talk to him.  
  
"Not that," she said. "I'd just as soon forget that too. Look, Sev, we've been friends a long time and you've put up with a lot from me, especially with the Legilimens spell and all, but - " she trailed off, wondering how to say what she was thinking. She decided that the direct approach would be best. "But you've been closing your mind off from me, bit by bit, and I'm having trouble understanding why."  
  
Now she had his full attention. She knew she sounded like a pleading girlfriend, and maybe that's what she was. It was certainly what their parents wanted, and up until this year, she'd thought she wanted it too. But the closeness that they had always shared was slipping away. He was hiding something from her, and he'd never done that before, as far as she knew. Whatever it was, it was big.  
  
"What exactly were you hoping to find in my mind anyway?" he asked scathingly, standing and moving toward her. "WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE IN MY HEAD POKING AROUND?" He was shouting now, and Muriel could feel the tears coming, but she didn't back away.  
  
"I haven't been poking around in your head, Sev, but even just the usual emotions that I've always been able to feel are gone. You are either blocking them from me, or -" she didn't want to say the 'or', but he said it for her.  
  
"Or maybe they just aren't there anymore? Is that what you think?" He'd lowered his voice, and was passing a hand over his eyes as he sat back down. It was at this moment that the door was wrenched open, and Remus Lupin stuck his head inside. Severus shot him a furious glance. "What do you want, Lupin?" he asked in a dangerously low voice. Muriel kept her back to the door, wiping at the tears streaming down her cheeks.  
  
"Just making sure there isn't any trouble. Awfully noisy in here." Remus said evenly. Muriel spun suddenly and pushed past Remus, nearly knocking him over. She slammed the compartment door behind her and locked it with three separate spells, a grim look of triumph on her tear streaked face. She noticed with satisfaction that Remus, leaning against the far wall, looked rather ruffled for once. She turned toward the front of the train, intending to find some friends from her own house, but collided with Sirius, who'd come to see what was taking Remus so long. He grabbed her shoulders to steady her and looked down with a smile.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked. His smile faltered when he saw that she'd been crying.  
  
"I'm fine." Muriel wasn't sure exactly what she'd felt when their eyes met, but she looked away quickly. "Excuse me." She made to push past him, but he still had a grip on her arms. He pulled her gently back around.  
  
"Why don't you join Remus and me? We're bored because James went to track down Lily." Sirius knew he'd said the right thing. Muriel nodded silently, but it seemed to him that she was grateful in spite of her body language. Remus caught his eye and raised an eyebrow, but Sirius just shrugged and headed back to their compartment.  
  
"Where's Peter?" Muriel asked suddenly, as she sat down in the empty compartment. Sirius and Remus looked slyly at one another, but didn't answer. To their utter surprise, Muriel's eyes turned in the one direction no one expected: to the floor. She caught the chubby little rat neatly in one hand and held him up to her face. Raising her eyes to see the shocked look on the boys' faces, she laughed a bit, and whispered, "Ah, here he is!"  
  
She placed the rat beside her on the bench, and it promptly became Peter. Muriel laughed even more to see that the new arrival had the same look on his face as both Sirius and Remus. "This explains everything!" she exclaimed, "Wormtail, Moony, and Padfoot. That means James must be Prongs!" The boys looked hopelessly at one another. Remus slipped quietly onto the bench.  
  
"Severus must have told her." His eyes were on Sirius, who returned Remus' woeful expression.  
  
Muriel turned to Peter. "Why don't you go hang out with Potter? I have something rather personal to explain to these two." Peter looked startled, but didn't move. "I'll send Remus along in a bit," she added encouragingly, forcing herself not to look at Sirius as she spoke. Why had she offered to send only Remus? Peter left, closing the door behind him, and Sirius took his place next to Muriel.  
  
She waited until the sound of his footsteps receded. "First, Remus, you should know that Severus wouldn't have mentioned it if I hadn't already known." Remus took his head out of his hands and stared at her, shocked. "We sat in the same boat on our way to the castle our first year, do you remember?" He shook his head slightly, then changed his mind and nodded. "Well, we did, and you sat there the entire time thinking, 'Please don't let anyone find out.' The picture of yourself as a werewolf was so ingrained in your head that I probably could have done a drawing of it. Naturally I didn't tell anyone, especially not Severus. He's got an unnatural aversion to such things."  
  
"How could you possibly have seen an image of me that I was thinking about." Remus sounded shocked, and Sirius looked it. She knew she'd better wrap it up. With her luck, James would be here any minute, and she'd have to go.  
  
"You've heard of the Legilimens spell, haven't you?" They looked at her blankly for a moment, then something clicked behind Sirius' eyes.  
  
"Let's you force entry into someone's mind."  
  
"Right. So if you cast it on me right now, you'd be able to see images of certain events in my life."  
  
"It's useful for interrogation, but you have to be in the room with someone to cast it." Sirius remembered now. He'd read about it in one of the dusty old books in his father's attic. "But it's considered a Dark Art these days. It isn't exactly an illegal curse, but the ministry tends to frown on that sort of thing."  
  
Muriel was quiet for a minute, trying to decide if she really wanted to tell them this. But if they were going to spend the rest of the train ride together, she figured she'd better. Otherwise they would all be very uncomfortable. "How useful would it be if you didn't have to cast the spell at all? What if you heard the conversations other people have with themselves behind their eyes? What if you saw the things that haunted your friends' minds? What if every emotion in a 20 mile radius hit you like it was your own?" She hadn't meant to sound so bitter, but she recognized the feeling for what it was.  
  
"Worse yet: What if everything YOU feel is projected out from you like sunlight. Everyone in all directions knows when you're happy or sad and you can't hide it, no matter how hard you try." She was crying again now, and cursing herself for it. Sirius had put an arm around her and she leaned into him, not noticing that he was staring at Remus as if to beg for help.  
  
"Sorry," she muttered. "I was supposed to be explaining how I found out about your animagus abilities." She kept her voice low so it wouldn't break. The tears were gone as suddenly as they'd begun, but she stared at the floor as she continued. "I knew you were trying when you asked me about the duck incident. Then yesterday you growled at me." She laughed a little. "It was Remus who gave you away. He sort of laughed and I concentrated on him. I couldn't help but hear what he was thinking." She looked up at Sirius, but didn't pull away. He was chuckling softly and shaking his head. "Once I figured that out, it wasn't hard to match you all up to your nicknames: Moony, Padfoot, Wormtail and Prongs. You've called each other by those names all year."  
  
Remus crossed the compartment to sit on Muriel's other side and put his arm around her too. "You're one clever witch, you know that?" Even as he spoke she could feel his mind closing her off, like the slow lowering of a portcullis. She'd never met anyone who could shut her out so completely except Severus. Even Remus' emotions were swallowed up behind his eyes. She blinked at him and smiled a little before continuing.  
  
"It isn't cleverness so much as luck. I was born with this 'gift' as Papa calls it. Trust me, I'd love to be able to block it out sometimes. Other times, though, I can't live without it." She was looking very sad again, and stood suddenly. "I should get going. I'm sure Severus is having a difficult time getting out of his compartment." They looked at her, and she could feel anger rising in Sirius again. Just the mention of Severus seemed to do that.  
  
"Actually," Remus said quickly, "I've got to patrol the corridors again anyway. If you teach me the spell, I'll let him out." She taught him the spell, grateful not to have to face Severus again so soon, but nervous about sitting alone with Sirius. Remus left hurriedly to release Snape.  
  
Sirius and Muriel sat quietly then. But she could hear the questions jumping around inside his head. 'I wonder which he'll ask first?' she thought to herself. 'He's still very angry.' The silence was just about stifling.  
  
"That's what Snape was yelling at you about, then?" Sirius asked suddenly, surprising them both. Muriel wasn't surprised very often.  
  
"Not exactly. Severus was defending himself. Growing up with me around has made him close off his mind. He's been doing it all year - making me guess what he thinks and feels about everything. We've been friends forever, and I know we always will be, but it doesn't make it any less hurtful for him to keep secrets like this. I called him on it. I should've left well enough alone."  
  
The train pulled up to platform 9 ¾ at last and Sirius helped Muriel carry her trunk off the train before running back to get his own. He was feeling a bit hyper. He'd been able to talk with her without his wand in hand for the first time in their lives. They'd decided that it would be best if Muriel visited him this summer rather than him visiting her. He was already drafting a letter to her father in his head as he pulled his trunk out onto the platform.  
  
Muriel stood by her trunk, looking anxiously for her father, but he was nowhere to be seen. "Muriel, dear!" Someone was calling to her. She dragged her trunk over to the waving figure of Mrs. Snape. She could hear another trunk behind her and thought it must be Severus, though she couldn't feel his presence at all.  
  
"There you are, dear! Your father asked me to pick you up as well. He had urgent business elsewhere. Come on now, let's get your things into the car." They left the platform in silence, Severus leading the way.  
  
Muriel cast a glance over her shoulder to see Sirius watching her, an unreadable expression on his face. But for once his thoughts were clear enough for her to read. He didn't want her going home with Severus. It occurred to her suddenly that maybe she hadn't misread him at the Halloween dance after all. She smiled a little and waved with her free hand. He nodded in return before joining the Potter family. He'd mentioned that he was spending the first half of the summer with them.  
  
With a sigh, Muriel grasped her trunk handle tightly and ran to catch up with Severus. When they got to the car, he sat in the front with his mother, leaving her alone in the back. Mrs. Snape kept looking at her in the rear view mirror. Finally, as the passengers knew she would, Mrs. Snape asked the question.  
  
"Is something bothering you two?" She was looking shrewdly into the mirror as she said this and Muriel caught her eye.  
  
"That's just what I was asking Severus on the train. It seems that something is bothering him, but he doesn't care to share it with me."  
  
"There's nothing bothering me!" Severus snapped. He was angry that Remus had interrupted them on the train and he was angry that Muriel apparently wanted to discuss it now in front of his mother. They rode in silence for a while. Mrs. Snape's thoughts were flittering back to Muriel, who caught enough to piece a few things together. Occlumency lessons. So he WAS blocking her on purpose.  
  
"Severus," she began sharply, "I'll be over to your house this evening to pick up my things. You can just leave them in the car. Mrs. Snape, thank you for picking me up, but I'm going home now." With an ear-splitting CRACK she was gone. Severus swore under his breath. Mrs. Snape looked over at him but didn't bother to correct him.  
  
FIN  
  
A/N: Muriel's sixth and seventh years at Hogwarts have already been written! They will be posted as a new fic shortly! Please check back, and don't forget to review! 


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